


春川 ひきこもり

by memnoodles



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: not sure if this is sorakasa but i like that ship, same w/ natsusora
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:48:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22158091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memnoodles/pseuds/memnoodles
Summary: Sora is asked about how he got so good at games, and it turns into an explanation of his past.
Relationships: Sakasaki Natsume & Harukawa Sora, Suou Tsukasa & Harukawa Sora
Kudos: 25





	春川 ひきこもり

"Win!" A cheerful sunshine-haired boy yells as his last button press results in victory. The sweet-loving redhead sighs in defeat.  
"Harukawa-kun, you're too skilled; I can't keep up.."  
"All you need is more practice! That's how Sora got so good, hehe~", Sora presents a teethy grin, to which Tsukasa smiles back.

"Well, I've got to wonder, SoRA. You're so good at games, where did you find the time to practice that mUCH?" Piped in Natsume, currently conjouring up some kind of potion and poisoned food (A.K.A, orange juice and a meat pie for Sora's lunch).  
"Hihi~Well, if Sora were to tell you, it'd be a pretty long story.."  
"It's after school, Harukawa-kun. We can stay here til' 6:30pm; I'm sure your story won't be that long."  
"Just as Tsuka-chan SAID." Natsume dished up Sora's lunch and sat down on the chair next to the couch the other two were sitting on.  
"Well, if Shisho and Tsuka-chan insist.."  
-  
At the young age of 9. Sora Harukawa was a much different person from the Sora in Yumenosaki Gakuin. To summarize, he was a shutin who got excessively bullied by his classmates, resulting in a timid and pessimistic personality. Before this, he was pretty much who he is now, until he attended this new school. 

Sora was diagnosed with aspergers at an early age, as symptoms started showing early on as well. His original school didn't know much of this, and if they did, it didn't really phase them. He had to change schools due to business that his parents had to attend to. 

The new school was not as kind to Sora. The kids regularly threw stuff at him when he didn't understand things such as sarcasm or dark humour, and called him an alien for his strange behaviour. They also pushed him when he didn't know how to react to something.  
The bright and bouyant boy slowly started to become less talkative, and more quiet and secretive. Instead of spending after school sports sessions out on the field, he went straight home. 

However, Sora was getting quite bored with staying cooped up in the house, but he also was too afraid to go outside in fear of being hurt. Sora didn't ever think of telling his parents or his little sister what was going on, or why he stayed inside more often now, and both parties were having struggles of their own. 

Sora was aimlessly walking around the house as he stumbled upon an old Nintendo Entertainment System cartridge labelled "Galaga." It was dusty and looked like it hadn't been touched in a while.

"Hey, Dad, what's this?"  
"Mm? Oh, where did you find this! This brings me back..It's a video game, specifically for the NES, which I'm pretty sure is still somewhere in a box."  
"Could you find it for me?"

After a good hour of searching, the NES was found in a crackled box along with other small gaming consoles. Sora's father inserted the cartrtidge into the console and the screen on the tv lit up as soon as they plugged it in.  
"How is that possible.."  
"That was my reaction, too. Now, grab one of those controllers and I'll help you."  
One player was selected to play the game.  
"You are the flighter at the very bottom of the screen. The things at the top are aliens trying to bust your ship. You need to press the A & B button to fire at them before they get to you, and move that stick left to right to avoid them. Do you understand?"  
"Yes, I think so.."  
"Let.s start then!"

As any first level of a game is, it's simple and easy for a beginner. However, Sora zoomed through it in under two minutes, avoiding every alien speedily and using his missiles sparingly. His dad seemed very impressed.  
"It's most likely just a fluke, I'll worsen on the second level."  
This was far from the truth. Like the first level, he effortlessly zoomed through, flying through the small cracks the aliens made between him and retaliating.  
"Beginner's luck, I bet." Sora weakly smiles.

This "beginner's luck" seemed to continue for 98 more levels, until the 100th level, where he finally lost a life.  
"See, beginner's luck, hihi~"  
Sora's father sat, his mouth agape.  
"Sora-chan, you still have 2 more lives left. It isn't over yet."  
"Oh, okay..!"  
He flew through the level, as if it was just as easy as the first.  
"Oh, there's no more levels? I wasn't keeping count, hehe.."  
"You beat 100 levels, losing only one heart on the last one. I wouldn't consider that a fluke, Sora."  
"What?"  
"I think you have a natural talent for this stuff."  
_A natural talent for this stuff._  
The words echoed in his head. He'd never been told something like this, from anybody. He'd never even played a game until today.  
"You need to perfect it, Sora."  
"Do you really mean what you said?"  
"Yes, I do."  
"I'm talented..?"  
After the past months being filled with "useless" "boring" and "weird", this was refreshing. This was new.

Days passed, and everyday before and after school, Sora would practice on many different games he had available to him, making him more good.  
On a sunny wednesday morning, kids were gathered around one boy playing against another, a fighting game called Super Smash Brothers. Sora remembered playing this.  
"Hey, can I play?"  
"You? Pfft, sure, but I don't think you'll be any good." Snickers surrounded the room.  
Sora picked up a controller and chose his favourite and most affective character to play as: Kirby. The battle was a 3 stock, no time, no items, final smash on.  
The announcer counted down, and the battle started. Sora went straight for a grab, and got a 7 hit combo into a down B. The other boy tried to hit him, but Sora used his shield. After the boy was vulnerable, Sora yanked his joy stick to the far left, attacking him with Kirby's side B. Once again, the boy attempted to get a hit in, but was again blocked. Sora hit him with an up B, and then a down B, taking him down, and with two stock left.  
Sora was still on 0 damage. 

Pretty much the same thing happened for the next two rounds, Sora remained on guard and still had 0 damage. A final smash ball flied into the field.  
"I have this!" The boy managed to grab it before Sora could. But Sora inflicted so much damage on him that the ball came flying out again for Sora to grab. He did so, and perfectly hit his opponent, damaging him insanely and causing his cjaracter to fly off the stage. Sora had won the game.

The crowd was cheering, some people were amazed. Sora got a lot of hugs, some from people who hurt him very badly, ironically.  
"I couldn't even hit him once..What the hell?"  
Sora, for the first time in months, embraced himself and let out a huge grin. 

From there on out, bullying was still happening on the occasion, but Sora returned to his original self, and with a brand new skill. He was beyond happy.  
He felt himself be happy for the first time since he got to this school, and continued to be so until he left for Yumenosaki Gakuin, the exact same Sora as always.  
-  
"So that's it! Sora waffled on a bit, but he hopes you understood all the same."  
"Harukawa-kun, are you sure this isn't something you made up?"  
"Nope, positive! Sora was a much different person in my second primary school, haha~"  
Natsume was on the verge of tears.  
"S-Sora, you can't just pile all this onto ME. I wasn't emotionally READY," he said through sniffles.  
"Shisho, don't cry~Sora is doing much better than before!"  
"I know, but the fact you were treated like this is cRUEL. How could they treat someone that was a blessing from the skies like THIS."  
"I-I agree, Sakasaki-senpai."  
"It's okay, because I'm with all of you guys now. You accept me for my weirdness and my faults, and that's all I could ask for.  
"Please pass me a tissue, SORA."  
"Okaaay, hihi~"  
"Ah, it's getting late. I think we should go home now."

Sora walked into his house. "I'm hoome!"  
"Nii-chan, want to play Animal Crossing together?" A small voice piped from the living room.  
"Of course! Sora loves playing with Emi-chan."


End file.
